A little bit of belly fat is said to be good for you, as it protects the stomach, intestines, and other delicate organs in there. But too much fat is anything but healthy. In fact, excessive belly fat has been associated with heart diseases, diabetes, certain forms of cancer, etc. There is no single cause of belly fat says the experts. Genetics, diet, age and lifestyle can all play a role. Whether you wish to minimise abdominal weight for health reasons or to fit into your cloths, a healthy, balanced diet can help you do so. Changing dietary habits can help fight the battle of the bulge and fight belly fat: Read labels, reduce saturated fats, increase the amount of fruits and veggies you eat, and control/reduce your portions. And try to stay very far away from the foods listed below:
Potato Chips
It’s not just that potato chips are saturated with saturated fat which causes abdominal fat gain, nor that they are crusted with salt, causing mid-level bloat. It’s not even about the quantity of calories in them – there are plenty more calorie-dense snacks out there. What makes potato chips so terrible for your tummy is not what they have, but what they lack: the ability to make you feel satisfied. A handful of chips can very quickly turn into a big empty plate in no time and you’d still be craving more. Cut out potato chips from your daily food consumption and you will see noticeable weight lose especially in mid-session.
Diet Soda
Recent studies have found an association between the consumption of diet sodas and a wider waist circumference. If you want to trim your tummy fat, cut out sugary beverages, including cokes and other soft drinks (including those with ‘diet’ written on them). Even worse, an obesity journal found that diet soda drinkers have a higher percentage of belly flab than those who don’t sip the beverage at all. Replace your sodas with tea instead. Green tea is especially good for trimming belly fat.
Pizza
Stay away! Pizza is high in calories, saturated fat and sodium.
Fries
Trans-fats can damage your cholesterol levels, wreak havoc on your overall heart health and promote abdominal weight gain. Common sources of trans-fats include fried foods such as doughnuts, French fries, etc. One Harvard research found that French fries eaters gained 15 pounds of belly flab from fries alone. Instead of commercially fried products, eat homemade fries, prepared with healthy choices of oils such as sunflower or olive oil. It’s far much better for your health than the commercial fries.
Sources: Eat this, not that!
